Of painting
by Almon-Mercer
Summary: Ichigo is in soul society for summer break. And he get along with Byakuya


Of Painting

I was very surprised when he asked .

I mean, we're talking about _Kuchiki Byakuya_, the same guy who not very long ago still thought that I was a threat to Sereitei

Recently, for reasons known only to him, Byakuya had started to open up a little to me: he was calling me ''Ichigo'' (I was a shocked the first time; the guy is always so formal. One day, when I called him by his specify name, I thought he would go all Senbonzakura on me), and he was nodding to me when he saw me in the corridors of the manor, when I was visiting Rukia. Sometimes, he stopped to talk with me, or he escorted me to the room where Rukia is (that's just plain disturbing...)

Okay, I may be overreacting a bit, since it's been already a month since Byakuya decided to act ''friendly'', but I can't help but feel a bit ... I don't know, freaked out?

However, it was going well. I don't even know why I was making all this fuss. Seriously, when we were together, it wasn't even awkward. When we were waiting for Rukia and Renji, we were drinking tea (a lot), and talking about Seireitei, or the places I should visit in Rukongai ( Byakuya knows a lot of cool places, I always thought was always sitting in his manor or something...)

Anyway, the atmosphere was always peaceful.

I was still thrown off-balance at the thought that Byakuya was my _friend_, now.

To my knowledge, Byakuya didn't have many friends. Ukitake-taichou, maybe? But he always seems to hold everyone at arm-length. I don't know how he became like that. Yoruichi-san told me how ''Byakuya-bo'' was when he was a teen (nothing like the walking Rulebook he was now.

For the thounsandth times, I wondered how tough it was to be the head of one of the Four Noblehouse...

****

''Would you let me paint you?''

That was what Byakuya asked me when we were drinking tea in his office at the manor.

I was speechless, of course. _He wanted to paint me?_

I knew that he liked painting; I had actually stumbled upon on a portrait of Hisana, his late wife.

The painting was very sad and full of regret. And of course, very well-done.

Byakuya really was the artistic type. It matched his calm nature. Calligraphy, sculpture, painting, music...

But I was truly surprised and flattered that he wanted to paint me. Most of the paintings he made were landscapes. I knew that he painted portraits of people he really care, like Hisana, Rukia and Kuchiki Ginrei; his grand-father...

Besides, all these portraits were displayed in his room and office his room. His personal space.

Most of his them were full of sadness, But I had noticed that Rukia's portraits were now brighter.

It was surely reflecting their new bond.

I was curious to see how I would be represented by him, so I accepted.

During the session, we were relaxed, and sometimes Byakuya even laughed (mostly because I wasn't able to hold the pose for ten minutes but it was alright.

It was taking place in the awesome garden he owned, and most of the time before the sunset (since Byakuya came back from work a late). Even if we weren't tired the chilly air and would always remind us that we had to go back in.

Rukia would tease me, because I wasn't spending my time with her anymore when I went to the manor, and then I'd stay for dinner before going back to Renji's place.

We barely finished the painting, before I went back to the Real World, after all, the Summer Break was nearly over and school will start again.

Finally, I'd see the painting, Iwas more than curious at the result: Byakuya never let me see it when it was unfinished. He manage to finished before i left for the real world.

He had displayed it in his office.

When I finally saw it, I was speechless. It was beautifully done, of course. But that wasn't what I noticed: it was bright, very bright, brighter than Rukia's recent portraits...

It was both me, and not. My brows were still slightly knitted in a permanent scowl (as always...), but I was smiling and my eyes were very warm.

It's gave me the same feeling as when I saw a picture of my mother. Warmth, peace, trust, comfort... A mix of all of these emotions.

I wondered if it was the kind of feeling I gave when I smiled, or if it was just Byakuya's perception of me.

I was pleased anyway, if I had warmed the heart of this cold man during my stay here, if he was feeling less lonely, I was more than pleased.

**A/n:**

**Another ByaIchi. I can't help it, it's my OTP and I have a real facination for Byakuya. Oh wasn't he fantastic in Episode 208? Young Byakuya is so different. I guess this fic is for his appearance in the Turn Back the Pendulum Arc.**

**I wrote that a month ago, I think. Anyway here it is. I wrote a sequel to that, so if some of you enjoyed this short fic, stay tuned because there's another chapter coming.**

**My Beta really enjoyed the concept of this story (ah, it making me warm in the heart!) so I'm posting this, but I'm also working on a longer and more detailed version of this. **


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